TCS - From the Deals Guy

From the Deals Guy

Bob Click
Greater Orlando Computer User Group
From the January 1999 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter

This year, our funds did not permit my wife and I to attend the Fall Comdex. The hotel alone would be over $900. People tell me attendance was down and there were some concerns among the APCUG attendees about where the future of Fall Comdex might go. Even many name vendors were not there. Looks like that show may have to change, or specialize.

It's easy to see that, while computer shows used to be just computer shows, the industry has become specialized into various types of computer shows these days. The thinking is that vendors must be at the shows, but trade shows are becoming increasingly expensive, not to mention numerous. What is a vendor to do? Your guess is as good as mine, but remember, the same concept applies to attendees, whether it's you and I, or business people when it comes to the expense of attending shows.

On the other hand, I have not talked to anybody who didn't have a great time there. It goes without saying that I certainly missed seeing all my friends among both the APCUG and vendors.

Now for the deals:

How About a Graphics Deal!

George Rice called me from Media Graphics to say that they would extend their COMDEX special offer to all my readers. Since Media Graphics has been about the most popular product I have ever written up, I couldn't resist this offer, and what a sweet deal it is!

This package sold out at COMDEX but they still have a few for my readers. Originally called the "Quarter of a Million Multimedia Graphics Suite,"its now the "270,000 Multimedia Graphics Suite," even though it still contains the same packages as before. They say it's the ultimate collection of multimedia graphics, sounds, music and animations. Watch your E-mails and web pages spring to life. With the exciting bonus programs included, you'll have all the tools you need to create newsletters, brochures, ads, flyers, presentations, web pages and much more.

This package contains: 100,000 clip-art images; 30,000 photos, 125,000 web objects, 4,000 sound effects; 6,000 animations, and 2,000 music clips. As a bonus you also receive: "Desktop Publishing," "Graphic Design," "Photo Editor," "Web Site Maker" and "Fast Online Browser."

Hold onto your chair -- the special deal for this great package is only $19.95 + $5.00 S&H ($10.00 S&H to Canada). That price only gets you the CDs, but how could you go wrong. If you need more information, or are ready to order, call George Rice or Chris Linney at Media Graphics - phone 1-800-679-6730 (US) or 1-800-598-2037 (US & Canada) - and say that I sent you. Web site is .

JASC User Group Specials

Just a reminder that JASC Software always offers user group special pricing on their software. At COMDEX, a form was available to order Paint Shop Pro 5 (Win 95/98/NT4) at $49.00, or Paint Shop Pro 3 (Win 3x/NT) for $32.00. Call their sales department at 1-800-622-2792 for pricing on other products. I assume you need the order form, so an Officer from your user group should call them for that. Mention your user group.

Another Great User Group Supporter Found at COMDEX

Casady & Greene really likes user groups and told me they will support them as much as they can. They offered to extend these special offers for my readers until February 28, 1999. They are as follows:

Windows Products:

Spell Catcher - Win - disks. This is a universal interactive spell checker you can use in almost any application, including e-mail. Accessible from your task bar - $19.95.

Origami Hybrid - CD. Origami, the Secret Life of Paper, teaches you to fold 12 basic paper models in minutes - $19.95.

Glider 4.0 - Win - disks. I have no description - $19.95.

Fluent Laser FontS - disks. "FLF Library 2" includes 120 handcrafted typefaces in Postscript 1 and/or TrueType formats. This variety of text, display, headline, and script styles is available in Mac and PC-Compatible formats - $39.95.

Mac Products:

Conflict Catcher 8 - CD. CC8 continues the tradition of its lineage by bringing you the ultimate in startup file management and conflict testing software - $64.95.

Conflict Catcher 8 upgrade - CD - $44.95.

Grammarian - disks. Interactive grammar checker that works in all of your applications - $24.95.

InfoGenie 2 - disks. It's an organizer, an address book, and a database, all at your fingertips - $19.95.

Spell Checker - Mac - disks. Works with almost all applications - $24.95.

AmoebArena - CD - (game). An organic, subatomic setting where, to settle pan-galactic disputes, players wage war on each other's microscopic armies - $9.95.

Crystal Crazy - disks. More action, more lunatic special effects than its best-selling predecessor, Crystal Quest - $9.95.

Origami Hybrid - Mac/Win - CD. This secret life of paper teaches you to fold 12 basic paper models in minutes - $.19.95.

Game Hall of Fame - CD. Five classic games, all members of MacWorld Magazine's Game Hall of Fame. Includes Crystal Quest, Sky shadow, Glider 4.0, Crystal Crazy, and Mission Thunderbolt - $14.95.

Glider Pro CD. The all-time best-selling game rated "4-mice" by MacUser Magazine is now on CD with 14 unique new houses created by Glyder fans themselves. Including an Art Museum, the Titanic, the Asylum, the House of Mirrors, and more - $19.95.

Glider Pro - disks - $9.95.

Step on It! Disks. You're Ted, trapped in a zany world filled with things out of your childhood toy chest, and you can only escape by building and breaking blocks - $14.95.

Last but not least, Zone Warrior - CD. Defend your remote space station against attach with the 3-D flight simulator - $9.95.

To order any of these items, call Casady & Greene at 1-800-359-4920 or 1-831-484-9228 and mention this column.

Power Quest Special

I hope you are all aware of the special offer by Power Quest for user group people to buy Partition Magic V4.0 for just $30 (MSRP $69.95). You must have the form to order. Someone in your user group probably has this form. If not, they should contact Gene Barlow to obtain it.

Delphi 4 Special Offer

A few of you might be interested in the Delphi 4 Client/Server package for only $995.00 which is over $1,000 off the regular price. Offer expires December 31, 1998 so act fast. Call Borland at 1-800-453-3375 and specify offer code #1572.

Free Software ... welll ... almost.

Sorry I didn't notice this for last month but I am running behind on everything these days. If you stay at a "Days Inn" Motel between 9/21/98 and 12/31/98, and use your American Express card, you are eligible for a choice among seven different software titles, from "Reading Blaster" to " Trophy Bass" to "All American Golf," etc. for just the $4.95 shipping. You must complete a certificate and include copies of your American Express Card room receipt for your Days Inn stay along with a check for $4.95 no later than 2/15/99. There is a limit of one software title per family per stay.

Save On Technical Books and Software

Another vendor at COMDEX was O'Reilly Publishing. They want user groups to know that they offer an ongoing 20% discount on all O'Reilly books, training manuals and software when your members order directly from them at 1-800-998-9938. Mention the DSUG code when placing orders.

To obtain catalogs to give your members, as well as other information for your user group, contact Christina Silveira via 1-800-998-9938 (ext. 339), e-mail . Remember, only a representative from your user group should call to obtain catalogues to pass out.

Affordable Children's Software.

From time to time I receive letters from "Ohio Distinctive Software" offering nice programs at low prices. This one is called "GeoRunner - World Exploration." It's a multimedia CD-ROM world exploration game with 105 levels of play in 15 different stages of difficulty. Your child will learn the continents, countries, capital cities, landmarks, oceans, seas and rivers of the world, plus a multitude of fascinating facts, and have fun in the process.

Your child will search the world with propeller planes and jet planes to find hidden keys to free the main character, Blit. There is more and if you are interested, contact them via mail or phone by January 20, 1999. Their address is:
Ohio Distinctive Software
4588 Kenny Rd.
Columbus, OH 43220
Phone them at 1-614-459-0453.

In closing out this month's column, I want to especially thank my friend Hewie Poplock, Program Manager for Central Florida Computer Society, who brought me some specials from COMDEX to follow up on. Of course they couldn't all be used because of deadlines or no consent from the vendors, but I was able to use a few.

Meet me here next month to see if I found anything more for you. Bob (The Cheapskate) Click - dealsguy@mindspring.com.



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